#College

The Awkward Stage

Here I was.

Another day. A new day. A day where I had to see Dylan again.

I hefted my bag on my shoulder with a heavy sigh. I got into my car and drove slowly to school.

I was hoping that I would be late so that I wouldn't have to see Dylan, but as fate would have it there was no traffic and the police looked at my car, probably wondering if there was something going on.

I already talked (ish) to Dylan in the broom closet, so why should I attempt to talk to him again?

I don't want to get hurt again, but neither do I want to shut myself from the people I call my friends.

I will walk in there and pretend that nothing happened. Yes! That was exactly what I was going to do.

'Act cool, act cool act-' "Dylan! Buddy! Hey wassup bro!" I greeted him. I mentally facepalmed 'so much for acting cool ya weirdo' I berated myself.

"Jennifer... " he started, but didn't get to finish because Daisy and Mark walked up to us. "Hey guys!" I greeted them sounding way too cheery. The pair looked at me weirdly but then decided not to comment.

Dylan gave me a forlorn glance but I pretended not to notice. "So... Watcha up to?" Mark asked no one in particular. "You know, just, hanging with my buddy over here" I told Mark then punched Dylan on the arm a little too hard to be considered playful.

"Ow!" Dylan complained. I watched Daisy as she tried so hard not to laugh, but then failed miserably and started laughing into Mark's shoulder.

I don't think Mark seemed to mind by the way he was blushing. His face was so red it would have made a tomato turn green with envy.

Dylan turned to me, a pained expression on his face. "Jennifer please, we need to..." he tried again but faltered and looked behind me.

I turned around and saw Ysa. Saved!

"Hey gurl!" I said, my voice sounding ten times higher than usual. "Hey.. I was going to walk you to class but seems like your pretty occupied" she said, nodding towards Dylan, Daisy and Mark.

"Nah, it's fine, we were just on our way to classes as well" I informed her to make her feel less awkward. "I thought that we were walking to class together" Daisy pouted. I rolled my eyes "there's no law saying that the three of us can't walk together" I said matter of factly. "right..." Daisy said, looking embarrassed.

"Bye Mark, see ya later!" I told him. He nodded, still blushing from what happened earlier. I linked my arms with Daisy's and Ysa's when Dylan said "You didn't even say goodbye to me"

"Bye... bro " I told him, then without another word the three of us walked to our next class.

When Dylan and Mark were out of our line of sight, Ysa unlinked our arms. "What was that about?" she asked me using her "don't give me bull" tone.

Daisy was more than delighted to explain and exaggerate everything.

For example, she said that I told Dylan that I was "in love with him, and that every second I spent with him made me fall deeper and deeper for him".

I cannot imagine how many fan fictions this girl has read.

I only said that I liked Dylan for goodness sake! Not a proclamation of love!

After Ysa heard Daisy's over exaggerated story she turned to me "this is messed up" she stated.

I nodded my head in agreement. There's just no escaping a dramatic life is there? Especially when your name is Jennifer Shire.

I just wish that things weren't so... awkward.